Fruit separating or assorting machine.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

J. H. URQUHART. FRUIT SEPARATING 0R ASSORTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIOF FILED JULY 29.1907.

3SHEETS-SHEET l No. 888,130. PAT-ENTED MAY 19, 1908. \J H. URQUHART. FRUIT SEPARATING 0R ASSORTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29.1907- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H.URQUHART, OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO FRED STEBLER AND AUSTIN A. GAMBLE, OF RIVERSIDEQCALIFORNIA.

FRUIT SEPARATING OR ASSORTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed July 29, 1907. Serial No. 386,138.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. URQUHART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riv- 'erside, in the county of Riverside and State of California, have invented a new and useful Fruit Separating or Assorting Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for separating and assorting fruit according to its sizes and particularly to that class of machines wherein a grading rope traveling horizontally through the machine is utilized in connection with a roller or series of rolls disposed opposite such grading rope to form a series of different sized openings through which the fruit drops by gravity, the roller or rolls being rotated in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the grading rope whereby as the fruit is carried along by the grading rope the fruit is rotated so as to find its smallest diameter.

With machines of this character, as heretofore used, inconvenience has been experienced from the fact that the fruit of a given size would drop at the commencement of the rading o ening and where large receiving bins have een employed in connection with the grader the fruit has all been delivered at one side of such bin. Where wide bins and a long section of the machine for a given grade or size of fruit have been em iloyed, the object of such wide bins has been to enable more than one fruit acker to work at such bin in packing the fruits from such bin, and it has been found essential that the fruits delivered to such bin should be delivered as evenly as possible to both sides of the bin to prevent the necessity of the packers pulling the body of fruit toward them and it is to provide for the delivery of the fruits evenly to both sides of the bin that the improvements herein set forth have been made. It is obvious that the foregoing objection and disadvantage has been equally present whether the machine be one having a series of rolls each independently adjustable to's'ecure a graduated runway or series of graduated discharge openings, or a single graduated roller has been provided in connection with the grading rope, and this invention is e ually applicable to either of these forms of fruit graders or sizers.

The invention consists in the provision of a rading apparatus mounted over a series of nit receivmg bins, and comprising a grading rope running longitudinally through the machine, of a rotary member'rotating transversely of the direction of movement of the grading member, the rotating member provided at the center of each bin with a cutaway ortion forming at the center of the bin a gra ing opening between the grading member and the rotary member, so that the fruit of the size to be delivered to a given bin will be delivered at the center of the bin.

The'invention consists further in the construction and interrelation of arts hereinafter described and more particiilarly pointed out in the claims and will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a plan View of a fruit sizer or grader embodying this invention. As shown in this figure the invention is applied to a grader, the transversely rotating member of which is composed of a series of rolls each independently adjustable and provided at its center with a cut-away portion of smaller diameter, such cut-away portion forming with the grading rope the grading discharge or opening through which the fruit drops into the center of the grading bin. I Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line a; 9c of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a grading or assorting machine in which the transversely rotating member is either made in one piece or so connected as to be substantially one piece and to be adjustable as one piece. This transversely r0- tating member is made up of graduations and between each graduation is a cut-away 'portion which comes directly over the center of the fruit bins and forms with the grading member the fruit discharge oro ening. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on t 1e line :rf-w of Fig. 3.

As shown in the drawings, 2 re resents the front wall and 3 the rear wall 0 a series of bins, and 4 the bottom or floor of such bins. Over this series of bins is arranged the grading or sizing machine, preferably formed in -du licate, so as to provide two fruit runways am a double series of bins, but in the drawings I have illustrated only one side of such double machine indicating the other side merely by the grading rope and the central divider or support 15 for the grading ropes.

5, 5 re resent the artitions separating the several )ins. On the top of each of these partitions 5 is a bed plate 6, in which the line shaft 7 has its bearings S. This line shaft is connected at one end by a bevel pinion 9 with a bevel inion 10 carried by a shaft 11 at the end of the machine. This shaft 11 has bearings 12 in a suitable su port at one end of the machine. On the shaft 11 is a grooved pulley 13, and at the other end of the machine is a similar transverse shaft 11 having a similar grooved pulley 13. The rading rope 14 passes about from one pu ey 13 over and about the other pulley 13, and the upper leg of the ro e 14 travels in a groove provided in the divi er 15.

As shown in Fig. 1, the transversely rotating member forming one side of the runwayis made up of a series of rolls 16, each roll 16 being of a length substantially equal to the width .of the fruit bin underneath it, Each of these rolls 16 is carried byarms 17 passing through guide 18 on the bed plate 6 and connected with adjusting screws 19 passing through eyes 21 in which are carried the adjustin screws 20 by means of which each of the rofis 16 may be adjusted toward or. away from the gradmg rope independent of any movement of any of the other rolls 16, thus affording an individual adjustment for each size or grade of the machine. Each of the rolls 16 is provided with a cut-away portion en er, such cut-away portion havin a smaller diameter than the ends of the rofis, and the large ends'of the rolls are preferably inclined or beveled as shown at the sides toward the cut-away portion. Preferably each roll is driven by a'belt 22 which passes around the roll in a groove at the center of the cutaway portion, this belt passing over a driving pulley 23 on the line shaft 7 and'under a belt tightener 24. This belt tightener is shown in the form of a pulley mounted in standards 25. It is obvious that this belt tightener may be modified and that the manner of driving the roll 16 changed to suit the manufacture of the machine without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the invention is shown as a plied to a grading or assorting machine in w 'ch the transversely rotating member is made either in one piece or in several sections so attached together as to beadjustable only by adjusting the whole of the transversely rotating member. In this form of the invention the transversely operating member 26 is provided with a series of graduated portions,

, nection with the belts 22.

and between each of the graduated portions is a cut-away portion 16' corresponding to the cut-away portions 16 of Fig. 1, and for the same purpose the transversely operating member or roller is su orted in arms '17 in like manner as shown in ig. 1 but the roller 26 is driven by means of belts 22 operating over pulleys 23 on the. line shaft 7 and assing over pulleys 27 on theshaft of the ro ler 26. Similar be t tighteners 24 are shown in con- The gradin rope 14 is carried on grooved pulleys carrie by transverse shafts 11 at opposite ends of the machine in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 1, and the divider 15 is the same. In all the figures of the drawings I have illustrated the divider 15 as provided with two grooves and have illustrated two traveling members or grading ropes 14, and it will be understood that in the formation of .a double machine the transversely rotating member made up of a single graduated roller 26 or a series of rollers 16 is provided in connection with both of the gradingropes 14. In other words that the apparatus is duplicated on each side of the longitudinal divider 15. The divider 15, as shown, is preferably provided with two slo ing sides 28 so that in case the oranges or ot er fruits or vegetables should roll up the divider gravity will bring them back down onto the traveling rope 14 and rotary member opposite thereto. It is thus seen that by providing the transversely operating member with the on t-away portions 16 of reduced diameter, that the grading o ening formed between such portions and t e rope is brought to the center ofthe bin, and the fruitdrop ing through a given 0 ening will be' distributed equally througl fout such bin, whereas if the grading opening between the traveling belt and the transversely rotating member were of the same size for the width of a bin all fruit dropping-through such grading opening would drop at the commencement of such opening-wh1ch would be at the front or approachingside of the bin, and it would be necessary in order to secure a distribution of the fruit to-both sides of the bin to move the fruit.

It is obvious that the invention is ap licable to either single or double mac 'nes and I therefore do not confine myself to its application to either of these forms. By single machines I refer to graders having only a single runway and by double machines I refer to graders provided with two runways. In the drawings I have illustrated one runway and the longitudinally traveling member. ofthe second runway, but it wi 1 be understood that in single machines only one belt or travelin member is rovided. Having thus escribe'd my mvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a fruit separating or assorting apparatus, in combination with suitable bins, a grading-way, arranged over said bins, for the fruit to pass along and be separated or assorted, the same comprising a carrier member moving longitudinally of the machine,'a rotary member arranged adjacent to such carrier member so as to form in conjunction therewith the grading-way, said rotary member formed of a series of graduated portions, each graduated portion provided intermediate of the bin thereunderwith a cutaway portion of smaller diameter than its ends, such cutaway portions forming with the cargrading-way having one of its sides formed by a member traveling horizontally through the machine, and its other side formed by a rotary member arranged adjacent to such carrier member and rotating transversely to the direction of movement of said carrier member, said rotary member formed of a series of sections, each section provided intermediate of the bin thereunder with a portion of smaller diameter, such portion forming with said carrier member the discharge aperture through which the fruit of a given size is discharged.

3. In a fruit separating or assorting apparatus, in combination with suitable bins, a grading-way for the fruit, such grading-way formed by a carrying member moving longitudinally of the' machine, a rotary member arranged adjacent to such carrying member and rotating transversely to the movement of said carrying member, means forsupporting said carrying member in a horizontal position, said rotary member composed of a series of SCt10l1S, 8aCl1 section provided intermediate its ends and intermediate of the bin thereumler with a cutaway portion of smaller diameter, a grading or discharge aperture being formed between the periphery of the cutaway portion and carrying member through which fruit of a given size is discharged, and means for adjusting said rotary member with respect to said carrying member.

4. In a fruit separating machine, the combination with a supporting frame and fruit bins, of a fruit runway-formed by a relatively stationary member and a longitudinal series of rolls arranged end to end at diflerent distances from said stationary member, each of said rolls provided between its ends, and intermediate of the bin thereunder, with a portion of smaller diameter than its ends, thus providing communicating spaces of progressively-varying sizes for the discharge of the fruit, such spaces being arranged above the bins, means for independently adjusting the rolls with relation to said stationary member, means for driving the rolls, andmeans for positively feeding the fruit along the runway.

In a fruit separating machine, the combination with a supporting frame and fruit bins tormed in connection therewith, of a central longitudinal divider forming one side of each of two parallel runways, a series of rolls disposed on each side of the divider and arranged end to end at different distances front the divider forming therewith a runway, a carrier member moving longitudinally of the divider and adapted to carry the fruit along the runway, each of said rolls provided intermediate its ends, and intermediate of the bin thereunder, with a portion of smaller diameter than its front end forming progressively-varying,discharge spaces for the fruit above said bins, means for adjusting the rolls of each series toward and from the common divider, means for driving the rolls. and means for moving said carrying member.

6. In a fruit separating machine, a runway for the fruit comprising cooperating parallel members, one of said members consisting of a series of rolls arranged end to end and disposed progressively at different distances from the other member, means for adjusting each roll independently with respect to the other parallel member, the other parallel member comprising a carrying member moving longitudinally of said series of rolls, fruit I bins arranged underneath said runway, each of said rolls provided with a portion of smaller diameter than its forward end, such portions forming with the carrying men'iber progressively larger fruit discharge apertures along the length of the runway, such apertures being arranged at the center of the fruit bins to discharge the fruit at the center of the bins.

7. In a fruit separating apparatus, a frame and a series of bins separated one from another by partitions, a rotary member sup,- ported on top of said frame. a horizontally moving carrier operated alongside said rotary member, said rotary member formed of a series of sections or portions forming in conjunction with said carrier a graduated runway, each of such sections provided at a portion intermediate its fruit bin with a portion of smaller diameter than the diameter of the section, such smaller diameter portions forming with the carrier discharge apertures above the bins, means for operating said carrier, and means for rotating said rotary member transversely to the direction of move-' ment of the carrier.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Riverside California this 11th day of July 1907.

JOHN ll URQUHART.

In presence ot K. DQHARGER, RAYMOND Hns'r. 

